Whispering in French

by Sophia Nash

Award-winning romance author Sophia Nash makes her women’s fiction debut with a beautifully crafted, funny, and life-affirming story set in the Atlantic seaside region of France, as one woman returns to France to sell her family home and finds an unexpected chance to start over—perfect for fans of Le Divorce and The Little Paris Bookshop . Home is the last place Kate expected to find herself… As a child, Kate Hamilton was packed off each summer to her grandfather’s ivy-covered villa in southern France. That ancestral home, named Marthe Marie, is now crumbling, and it falls to Kate—regarded as the most responsible and practical member of her family—to return to the rugged, beautiful seaside region to confront her grandfather’s debts and convince him to sell. Kate makes her living as a psychologist and life coach, but her own life is in as much disarray as Marthe Marie. Her marriage has ended, and she’s convinced that she has failed her teenaged daughter, Lily, in unforgiveable ways. While delving into colorful family history and the consequences of her own choices, Kate reluctantly agrees to provide coaching to Major Edward Soames, a British military officer suffering with post-traumatic stress. Breaking through his shell, and dealing with idiosyncratic locals intent on viewing her as an Americanized outsider, will give Kate new insight into who—and where—she wants to be. The answers will prove as surprising as the secrets that reside in the centuries-old villa. Witty and sophisticated, rich in history and culture, Sophia Nash’s novel vividly evokes both its idyllic French setting and the universal themes of self-forgiveness and rebuilding in a story as touching as it is wise.    

Genres: Fiction, France, Contemporary, Historical, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit

364 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Sophia Nash’s novels have won almost two dozen national awards including the prestigious RITA Award and two spots on the American Library Association's “Top Ten Romances of the Year.” Sophia was born in Switzerland, raised in France and the United States, but says her heart resides in Regency England. Her ancestor, an infamous French admiral who traded epic cannon fire with the British Royal Navy, is surely turning in his grave. Before pursuing her long held dream of writing Historicals, Sophia was an award winning television producer for CBS, a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO.

Reviews

[Nina Draganova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Започва много силно и интересно книгата, стила е точно такъв какъвто харесвам. После има места на които ме приспа, някои хаотични действия и размисли. За да стане съвсем интересно накрая. Но завърши с толкова недоизказани неща. Според мен има място за развитие . Всъщност това беше просто увод почти. Тепърва има какво да научим за съдбите на героите и на цялата общност.
"Кога ли хората щяха да научат, че щастието е само нетрайна сърмена нишка, втъкана в живота ни фалшива позлата, която не издържа на течението на битието ни?

[Gaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read one of Nash’s historic romances, and enjoyed her twists and turns in characterization, deviating from the norm, but still providing a set of characters and plot that was immersive and easy to appreciate. In Whispering in French, the story often meanders with sidelines to setting and prose that is meant to evoke the sense of slowing down: and this becomes the tone for the novel. I read fast – usually 3 or 4 titles a week in slow weeks, and this book was one that I could not read in one sitting: a few chapters each day over a week was the best I could manage. It is a title that doesn’t show or grow quickly, and the repeated insertions with wildlife in the hedges, while interesting the first time, just left me wondering whether it was intended as a device for Kate to slow down and notice the little things, or to give readers another focus from the lack of forward and measurable progress in character growth.

Kate was an interesting, if not captivating, character. Finding her life in disarray: marriage ended, discord between she and her daughter, this life coach and psychotherapist needs some coaching and regrouping of her own. Fond memories of childhood summers spent in the south of France with her grandfather present her the opportunity to work on his estate, deal with debts and repair issues, and find a quiet place to regroup and reconsider her own path. Off she heads to the now run-down villa, and finds that her memories from childhood are often missing the disarray and decaying reality.

With an ex-military man suffering from PTSD that she agrees to work with, the natives who view her in a guarded, if not quite overtly rude way, and her own need and desire to delve into family secrets as she decides her next turn, the story does bring a sense of second-chances and growth; it is, however, very slow to establish and often mired in the attempt to establish an ambience that is much like the summer in France: lazy, quietly deceptive in the depth that can be found should one look. I can’t say that I loved the book, but I didn’t ever want to just put it down and not return: there are moments that are glorious – but the passages to get there are slow-moving and filled with detours. If you are a reader who doesn’t mind a story that is slow to reveal and appreciate description and rather overloaded prose, this is the title for you.

I received an eARC copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

[Chelle - FlowerChildReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whispering in French by Sophia Nash is the story of Kate Hamilton who travels to France to navigate the now in disrepair family home that belonged to her grandfather. Often, there is a juxtaposition in stories of how a main characters vocation is their weakest link. In this case, Kate is a psychotherapist whose life is a mess (physician heal thyself). Sometimes this can lead to an interesting storyline with transformation for a character. It didn’t work for me here. There are also some odd inclusions of conversations with animals I found unnecessary. I really wanted a lot more out of this book.
Thank you to LibraryThing and William Morrow for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to review Whispering in French.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly slow; I would have quit after the first 75 pages, but it was the only book I had with me while traveling. So I plodded on, and by the time I returned home, I was far enough along that I was determined to finish. The quality of the writing was good, and I found Nash somewhat humorous, but I didn't care about the characters and saw no real point to the story. By the time the action picked up (about 3/4 into the book), the ending was not only predictable, but just too neat and rosy for my taste.
The only parts of the book I enjoyed were the embedded chapters written in italics and narrated by a hedgehog. This character I did care about as he commented on his life and his observations of his world, seen from the garden. While his vocabulary was limited, his intelligence was broad. Plus these chapters contained most of the humor. Nash should write children's books, I think.

[Ella Spang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I enjoyed the first few chapters of this, expecting a romanticized dreamy sort of story, and was left feeling puzzled throughout the book. I felt like details were thrown in that were then abandoned, Kate, the main character started out interestingly, and then devolved into regularness, the sections leading up to the plot twist kept my attention, but everything after that felt like an attempt to wrap up plotlines and characters.

I could barely pay attention thanks to the slow pacing, though I enjoyed the Frenchy sophistication used throughout. Overall, to me at least, forgettable with my favorite of the characters having an unsatisfying ending.

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story with interesting characters. The main character, Kate, goes to France, at her mother’s behest, to solve a problem at her mother’s home, in the Basque region. Kate’s mission is to get her grandfather moved out of the family home and settled elsewhere and to sell the house.

The problem is not as simple as that. Kate’s grandfather, Jean, refuses to leave, and her selfish uncle, who has been pocketing the monies from the sale of family heirlooms and paintings, does not want to sell the house until after her and Kate’s mother inherit it.

Kate must find a solution, despite disasters both natural and man-made. Will she find herself in the process?

Although the story starts slowly, it is a powerful one, good enough to read twice, which I did.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start for me, and I didn’t care for the hedgehog/cat interplay, but the elegant writing and lovely setting held my interest. Really enjoyed the story, once the pacing improved, and I also really liked the characters. Very glad I didn’t follow my initial inclination to set the book aside, although I did skip the sections featuring the hedgehog and cat.

[Barbara Wethington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 3 1/2 stars rounded up. It had a slow start and included odd conversations between a hedgehog and a cat that I found mostly just disrupted the flow of the story. Once the story picked up, I found it quite enjoyable though.

[Rachel Neugart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 2.5 for me. The only thing that kept me going was the occasional wit that completely evaporated after the climax. Not a very tight plot with a lot of jumping around, incomplete thoughts, and a desire to touch every “hot topic.”

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about oneself and removing the masks we hide behind. Kate is a psychotherapist, leaving behind her clients to help her grandfather decide what to do with his crumbling mansion in France. While trying to get over her own issues, Kate meets Edward Soames, a PTSD sufferer who she befriends, helping herself while helping him. Some strange chapters involving a cat and a hedgehog were not my favorite parts of the book.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is an interesting main character – even though she is a psychologist trying to help her patients with life problems, her personal life is a mess and she doesn’t see much hope for her future. She is divorced, estranged from her teenage daughter, has a mom she doesn’t get along with and is on her way to France to encourage her grandfather to sell his huge crumbling family villa. He is in poor health and deeply in debt and she thinks that the only way to help him is to sell the home that has been in their family for centuries. As soon as she fixes everything in France, she can go back to America. Life has a way of changing even the best of plans and the small-town village people and her memories of the wonderful summers that she spent at the villa make her re-think her plans. Will she be able to forgive herself and learn to live life to the fullest in France or will her self-doubts make her return to her unhappy life in America? Take a trip to rural France in this novel and find out how Kate decides to live the rest of her life.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Just Commonly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whispering in French has such an air of romanticism in the cover as well as the title, don't you think? The author, Sophia Nash has a poetic side shown in her writing at times, and I think many literary fiction enthusiasts will enjoy that aspect of this novel. I think the idea of Marthe Marie, the villa that is old and decrepit seems to evoke some fantasy in it. Plus the village, the history and the culture, it reminds me a little of Under the Tuscan Sun, and not necessarily The Little Paris Bookshop. And that is sadly disappointing, since I'm more of a The Little Paris Bookshop fan than Under the Tuscan Sun.

"Perhaps you were expecting me to be kind, indeed, even beautiful in spirit if not in face, and heroic - yes, perfectly imperfect with an amusing assortment of eccentricities." (4)


I think it has more to do with the pacing seeming erratic. More slow at the beginning, yet it never really picked up, and that it also didn't translate well throughout to give a sense of development. Though, I must say, Kate's realization of finding herself was fairly thought out. This is Kate's story, no doubt about it, and that's what I wished we'd see less of, but more into what makes this premise shine. You'll see a glimpse of that periodically when she's with her grandpa, Magdali or even her mother. Unmasking her "people face" or "therapist" façade was internal, and when she finally found it, her revelation of "vibrant pattern now mixed with new pieces" was good. I leave Whispering in French hoping for more, though it has its merits, and that's why I kept reading.

"". . . where there is love there is no darkness. And there is hope." (63)


For my clean readers, please note there are some minor language to be aware of.

This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

>Please note, all quotes are taken from ARC (essentially an uncorrected proof). Please do not share quote or if you do, please make note that it is taken from an ARC. Thank you.>

[Andrea Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me awhile to get into, which is a shame. It took over an hour to read thirty pages. So yeah, this is a slow read, not that it is a bad thing, but when you've been in a reading slump for awhile, a slow book isn't a good thing.

Then there's Kate. She wasn't exactly the most likable characters, but after awhile she started to grow on me. Its hard not to like a psychologist that is a certifiable mess. (Do as I say, not as I do). I grew to like her as her friendship with Edward, a soldier with PTSD grows. With this friendship, you saw some changes come over both of Kate and Edward, and you also learned both characters backstories, which explained some of their preset behavior. (I had more sympathy for Edward though, as you learn they are both similar in their suffering)

Midway through the story we finally meet her daughter Lily, who has troubles of her own, related to her mother and father.

Then there's a side story going on called "Whispers In The Garden" which is just way too bizarre. I mean very bizarre. It ends up being a sweet part of a story that is full of drama and strangeness, be it family drama or the weirdness of Kate's clients. (She's a psychologist).

Kate's family drama is probably the most colorful and it gives so much more depth to the plot. It isn't just about a messed up woman tried to get her grandfather to sell his crumbling villa and move to someplace safe. No, there's a crocked uncle, an unknown sibling, a wacky mother, along with all the neighbors in the town that seem to be out for a piece of the villa.

I did enjoy the relationship that started to develop between Kate and Russ Nation in the last part of the novel.

As I gave myself time with this book, I started to like it more but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I hope that the author revisits these characters, because it would be nice to really see how things turned out for them as years go by.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC through librarything. I think this one came from the publisher, but I'm really not sure since there was no note included with it, as is the norm. It took me awhile to read, partially because I was in the process of moving and partially because there was nothing really pulling me back to the story once I put it down for any reason.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this story. I really liked the twisted sort of story line where the psychologist gets a little therapy of her own, but it doesn't end like something out of a Disney movie. Ok, there are, admittedly, a few Disney-like moments between the wedding and the strike of good fortune, but it doesn't turn into a love story like this sort of book is want to do. I do wish there was a little more closure for Major Soames story line, but I suppose that's really a completely different story. Not to mention that PTSD isn't exactly something that just gets fixed in a month or so.

I feel like some of the characters were... unnecessary, but they sort of helped paint the picture of the town and cast our leading lady as sort of an outcast in the town because she's only half French, so it's easily overlooked. Although the bit with the animals was a bit out of place, despite sort of making the title make a little more sense. The only real issue I had with this was that it was VERY poorly edited. There were sentences that didn't make sense, incorrect adverbs, completely random letter pairs thrown together; you name it, this book pretty much had it. The only grammatical error I didn't see was a run on sentence.

That aside, assuming they fix the editing, I would totally recommend this book. It's a great beach read.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you librarything.com for the Uncorrected Proof of Whispering in French by Sophia Nash in return for my honest review.

Whispering in French was a quick, enjoyable read. Oddly, I liked the first two thirds of the novel better than the last 60 pages where the story became too easily resolved, sentimental, and somewhat predictable.

I would have given a four star rating if the story had continued as it did initially. Kate Hamilton is sent to southern France to convince her elderly grandfather to sell his crumbling ancestral home. His health is suffering and he is out of money for costly repairs, but he is determined to keep "Marthe Marie" in the family and continue the tradition of past generations. I loved Kate's interactions with the other characters. Her sharp wit was very appealing and comical. The fact that Kate was a therapist added a very interesting story-line as she befriended Major Edward Soames, a British military officer suffering with PTSD.

Additionally, the author's adoration for the locale is evident in her thoughtful and enticing descriptions of the scenery and region. There was a charming cast of secondary characters that gave the story a quaint appeal. The dialogue between the wildlife was puzzling, and although unnecessary, there were some endearing scenes between the hedgehog and cat that made me smile.

I thought Magdali's story could have been more developed and the Uncle's antics would have been better resolved at the end rather than in the middle of the book.

This book would be an excellent choice to take on vacation or to the beach. It provided a great escape from the demands of the day. 3 1/2 stars.

[Kate Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love a transformational story where a severely broken character discovers who they are, where they went wrong and how to live a better more constructive life. For this, Whispering in French never disappointed. There were several fairly well developed broken characters - each broken in their own way brought to Pays Basque of southern France. The 300 year old crumbling manor is representational of these crumbling folk, their crumbling relationships and the need to rebuild them.

The writing is richly descriptive, even painterly. It describes a warm southern European locale, exquisite to view and very much at the mercy of Mother Nature. In a desire to be surrounded by such beauty, many had risked their lives and/or prosperity by being precariously perched on the edge of the sea, high on a bluff. When all comes tumbling down, you may either pick yourself up and rebuild your life or crumble with the walls into oblivion.

There's a quirky and rather charming sub-story within the book which mirrors the human relationships within the main story, about which I will say no more lest I spoil it for other readers.

Always remember, ....

"If you want to travel fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, travel together."

I am grateful to author Sophia Nash, Harper Collins Publishers and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for having provided a free uncorrected proof of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

[Cindy Sacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! Author Sophia Nash is a truly talented writer. Her prose is lyrical, descriptive, touching, unexpected. I don't want to give away spoilers, as so much of the enjoyment is experiencing for yourself the twists, turns, people and location. Basically, Kate Hamilton is "called" by her mother to head to her grandfather's crumbling villa in the South of France, preferably to sell the estate and moved grandfather to a smaller, less expensive home-care apartment. Kate used to spend her summers at the villa, so the trip opens Kate to all sorts of memories and unexpected reunions, family secrets, disasters and eccentric characters. To add to it, Kate is a therapist and has her own issues with both her mother and her daughter. The book flap reads: "Home is the last place Kate expected to find herself..." WILL she "find" herself? Read the book to discover for yourself!
I can visualize this book as a movie with Diane Lane -- a sort of "Under the Tuscan Sun" - but SO much more, as the writing is something to be amazed by. One of my favorite sections of the book are the "Whispers from the Garden" sections. I will not give them away, but so lyrical, so unexpected. Seriously -- READ THIS BOOK!
I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. It did not affect my review.

[Pamela Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Hamilton is a psychologist and Life Coach in America, but at the moment her own life is somewhat of a mess. Her mother insists that she go help her cantankerous grandfather who is in failing health, running out of money, and living in their decrepit family home: a 300 year old villa above the ocean in the South of France. Kate begrudgingly goes there, even though she is emotionally hurting because of a fall out with her teenage daughter; one she hasn’t been able to repair. At the Villa, a neighbor friend of her grandfathers asks her to help his son: a British Military officer suffering with PTSD, but just like her grandfather the Major doesn’t want help. Then there is her sneaky French uncle who has his own ideas about what to do with the Villa and his fathers’ decline. The townspeople are all difficult, but thank heavens for Magdali her grandfather’s Namibian housekeeper whose family has lived at the Villa for 2 generations: she was Kate’s childhood friend.
The writing is good, it’s easy to read, and funny, but no real surprises kind of like a made for TV movie. Take it on your vacation, and put this location on your bucket list, I know I have. Oh I forgot to tell you about the Hedgehog, okay I’ll let that be the surprise. 4 stars.

[Anna Herrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book enough to read another of this author's books, maybe, but was left a bit puzzled by the last scene.
*Spoiler alert*
What does 'the figure was gone' mean? She killed off the main character and the fella from the airplane at beginning of novel is who watches her die? Or she just falls and is no longer seen?
What a weird ending.
Other than the ending, some-to-most of the story was interesting, but it did feel like some avenues of story path were started, then stopped, or issues introduced that seemed like main points for the book suddenly... weren't?
Felt as if a cohesive edit for continuity was still needed before publishing.
And... if the animal sections were going to be included, maybe more of why they were central to the story would've helped. I get the connection to the water source, but it also seemed as if the water source was going to be discovered by the storm, regardless.
In general, not a bad book at all, and I liked the relationship discoveries and relationship mending between various characters, just think this story could've used some overall editing refinement.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't really explain why I read the whole thing. The writing is overblown and awful, but the story, if you can ignore 2/3 of the words and pull it out of the pile, is rather compelling. Kate drops everything to dash over to France and try and sort out her grandfather's estate. In the process, she finds out who she is, what she wants, and the courage to follow her dreams. With some heavy editing, this could have been a really good read. One caveat. There was this really odd thing that happened every couple of chapters. There was an italicized chapter called whisperings from the garden which was a conversation between a hedgehog and a cat who become friends. That I could not read. One must draw a line somewhere...

[Tanya (mom's small victories) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received a free Advanced Readers Copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to like this book, I'm a sucker for stories set in France. Whispering in French was just ok for me, I had trouble getting into it and didn't really feel compelled to see what happened so it took me a long time to get through it.

I didn't quite connect with the characters and the storylines I did want to develop were kind of thrown in at the end. I can't really pinpoint anything in particular I disliked, the story and characters had potential but it was all a bit predictable and boring for me.

[Jan Fickeissen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It strained credibility.
I could not figure out when the psychologist became a life coach but
being pushed down the stairs with an infant in your arms by an angry husband is just not acceptable.

And impulsively offering half a million euros to get rid of an uncle was also a strange behavior given that she did not have the money.

And the "intermezzo" chapters in italics that represented the pov of a hedgehog was passing strange. Did not charm me.

The family and small town dynamics were the strengths of the book. The quirky characters were not developed as fully as I would have liked. The bit about the heads in a bag was just gruesome.

[Natalie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

At university, a friend casually observed that those studying psychology tended to be people who seemed the most neurotic personalities themselves. The same rings true for the main protagonist in the novel, Whispering in French. Kate Hamilton is a French-American therapist who is trained to help her clients through their problems, but her own life is in complete disarray. And things get even more complicated when she is tasked with sorting out some issues for her family, including making decisions about a crumbling old villa located in the gorgeous, Basque country.

To read the rest of this review please visit: http://magazine.100percentrock.com/re...

[Emily Antonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the feisty main character, Kate, and adore the setting in the southwest of France. There's some nice prose to be found in these pages. If you have lost your way in this world and cannot find where the root of happiness lies, follow Kate on her journey. I'm appreciative that the ending holds a truth for many women in terms of relationships. It's all about the flow.
My only comprehension snag was in the introductory segment of the critters' "whispering", which appeared without preamble. It took several segments for me to see their connections to theme. Once I figured this out, I came to feel the segments enhanced the novel in a quirky, magical way.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed reactions. Liked some things but not others. The chapters about the hedgehog and cat didn't bother me but am not sure how they added to the plot. This book was very hard for me to get into and felt it was slow going the entire way. As a master's level mental health counselor, I did not find the portrayal of Late as a psychologist believable. For example, her daughter talking to a client, that same client offering stock tips to Kate, Kate accepting those tips, and then the same client attending the wedding of Kate's sister.

[Newreader Nancy]

good story. Takes place in Biarritz, France. Kate goes to her grandfather's home to try and convince him to move to either a smaller, newer home or to an assisted living facility because the old family home is in disrepair. She, herself, is going thru a hard time as she is recently divorced and her daughter is angry with her. Ink the end everyone is happy. They discover a natural spring on the family estate so there will be money to refurbish the home and the daughter and her mother make up.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really found myself not enjoying the first part of the book. It seemed to be very negative and not making any progress, but I pushed on and the story definitely picked up and get so I cared about what was happening to everyone in the story. It definitely seems like the author has set us up for a sequel, and I would like to see what happens in everyone's future. I'm glad I pushed through.

[Kristen Blount · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I loved the journey that Kate went on, but I needed a little more around her. All the other characters seemed a bit too one-dimensional. The cat and the hedgehog had more meaningful conversations than some of the characters. I was also hoping for the location to be more of a character ala Peter Mayle's books.

[Cathy Howland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does this woman not have an editor or proofreader? The main character has her "metal" tested, with further discussion of the type of "metal" she's made of. The old villa she lives in has mail "shoots." I wanted to find out what happened with the story (so there's that), but such sloppiness is distracting.

[Denitsa Chardakova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Романите на София Наш са спечелили различни награди, включително престижната RITA®, както и два слота в „Десетте най-добри романа на годината“ на „Бууклист“.
Достави ми удоволствие да прочета историята на героите, мястото и действието в романа. Препоръчвам на всеки, който има интерес към лиричната и докосваща проза.